Experience Left by the Ancestor

The Experience Left by the Ancestors

The night was as dark as ink.

Soft moonlight pierced through the window, spilling into the quiet bedroom. Ian's long eyelashes fluttered as he slowly opened his eyes, his bright, gem-like green irises shimmering with a brilliant luster.

From a state of daze to focused clarity, he returned to the waking world. Ian instinctively looked at the clock in his bedroom—as expected, the hands of the old-fashioned wall clock were frozen at 12:07.

It had been this way for years.

Returning from Limbo, the time was always the same. The hour hand might point to different numbers, but the minute hand would always point to that magical digit.

Seven.

Ian did not know what secret this held; he only knew that every week, he was bound to have an experience remarkably similar to this one.

In the past, the people Ian encountered in Limbo were only ever Ariana and the occasional appearance of Pandero, but this time, there had been an additional noble witch of mysterious origin.

She wants me to help her retrieve the mirror she left behind in the waking world...

Ian did not know if the noble witch was good or evil. Perhaps judging a soul by simple morality was too superficial; in truth, he was simply very curious about the mysterious witch's identity.

A witch who lived in a mysterious castle within Limbo.

Had she once been a renowned figure in the wizarding world? After all, that graceful and luxurious temperament was clearly not something an ordinary witch could possess.

Was she a witch from the last century, or someone active during the Middle Ages?

Regarding the fantasy world he found himself in, Ian's only knowledge came from a few films with mediocre special effects and a handful of fan-fiction novels riddled with conspiracy theories.

Because of this, Ian only had a rough understanding of the many mysteries hidden in this world. The only mirror he could recall was the Mirror of Erised, which hid the Sorcerer's Stone at the beginning of the story.

Gold-rimmed.

It allowed one to see the deepest, most intense desires of their heart.

If the mirror the mysterious witch wanted to find was indeed the one that would eventually appear at Hogwarts, perhaps Ian would have a chance to bring it into Limbo and hand it over to her.

I just don't know if I can bring such a large object there the way I bring candy. Ian was uncertain; he had never attempted anything similar.

To be honest, regarding this magical talent he had possessed since childhood, Ian was still completely baffled. He hadn't even figured out why he could bring candy inside but not the bed he slept on.

Of course, being able to enter Limbo in his sleep was undoubtedly an extremely special talent, just as the mysterious witch in Limbo had said.

Ian... was special enough.

But what this specialty meant was perhaps something only that witch could answer. Ian could clearly feel that the mysterious witch in Limbo cared deeply about this point.

Learn magic from her...

It had to be said, Ian was indeed tempted by this proposal, but he couldn't discern whether her goodwill was merely a facade to achieve some goal or if it was related to his uniqueness.

If she truly was a former owner of the Mirror of Erised, she must be an old ghost who had lived for who knows how many years. The thoughts of an old female ghost were perhaps even harder to fathom than those of a living woman.

She is also a very beautiful female ghost. Zhang Wuji's mother had a saying about that.

I don't need to take this risk... Magic is something I can learn at school as well. The professors there aren't necessarily weaker than the old witch in my dreams.

Reason conquered greed.

Ian suppressed the restlessness in his heart.

It was just like the experience left by his ancestors.

The Great Ying Empire also had long-standing traditions—aside from the custom of "knowing the man and going up," the pedophilia in this place was also a long-standing, peculiar culture.

What if the other party really was an old witch who liked to toy with little boys?

Or, what if her definition of "toying" wasn't the same as what Ian liked? This was not something Ian wanted to gamble on.

"Hoo~ Namo Gatling Merlin Bodhisattva... I really can't risk this."

After weighing the pros and cons, Ian rearranged his pillow, closed his eyes, and drifted back into a true slumber.

In all these years without the chance to learn spells, the greatest benefit of having wizarding blood for Ian was likely that he could easily master the method of inducing lucid dreams.

The night was filled with dreams.

The next day, Ian felt refreshed.

In his every gesture, there seemed to be a hint of high spirits and elegant ease—no one knew what kind of beautiful dreams he had concocted for himself last night.

[Successfully practiced Roman language, language proficiency +1]

[Successfully practiced Roman language, language proficiency +1]

[Success: Latin, Language Proficiency +1]

Long before the morning sun had even begun to rise, Ian had already started his daily studies. He had always been quite diligent when it came to improving his [Language Mastery] skill.

After all.

Deep down, Ian harbored a specific expectation; he hoped to use the extraordinary traits gained from this skill to touch upon a unique talent possessed by only a select few in the magical world.

Communicating with animals.

He didn't aspire to be a cross-species communicator like a Parselmouth, but at the very least, he wanted to be like Newt Scamander—able to understand the emotions and meanings expressed by creatures.

Of course, if it allowed me to hear the voice of all things, I wouldn't mind that either. Forgive Ian; he had consumed a wide variety of literature in his past life, and last night, he had even spent his dreams playing the Pirate King.

[Success: Latin, Language Proficiency +1]

[Success: Latin, Language Proficiency +1]

Just as Ian's thoughts were wandering and he had gained about ten points of [Language Mastery] proficiency, the sound of hurried footsteps suddenly echoed in the corridor outside.

There was also a clattering, banging noise.

He had no idea which unlucky little rascal was about to get scolded for knocking over the items displayed in the hallway.

"Ian! Ian! Come quick! That... the school teacher is here again!"

Catherine's voice rang out from outside the door, breathless, accompanied by the rapid thumping of several small hands against the wood. It felt as though these children were even more concerned about his schooling than Ian himself.

"Someone from Hogwarts is here?"

Ian felt a mix of confusion and surprise. He walked to the door and pulled it open, and immediately, with a series of thuds, a group of children who had been practically plastered against the door tumbled into the room in a heap.

"Ian! Ian! Ms. Elena is calling for you! Are you going to school now?"

"Will you come back? Can you bring a teacher back for us, too?"

"You could use your good looks to bewitch those female teachers!"

The children crowded around Ian, chattering all at once, their words interspersed with remarks that seemed a bit too mature—orphans always grew up faster than their peers in every aspect.

"Will you come back to teach us?"

Catherine, who knew the true nature of Hogwarts, looked at Ian with eyes full of anticipation. She was clearly referring to the wonders of magic.

"If there is a chance, if I am able to... then of course."

Ian patted the heads of the children around him, not daring to make any real promises to them. Perhaps Catherine might have a chance to attend Hogwarts.

But for most of them, crossing that threshold would ultimately be impossible.

"I'll take you to Ms. Elena!"

Catherine was incredibly excited, grabbing Ian and running outside. The other children, though only half-understanding what was happening, tagged along behind them in a happy swarm.

"Ian, I don't want to go to that school anymore. I'll just wait for you to teach me how to conjure candy. The teacher who came today looks just like that Gargamel you told us about!"

On the way.

Catherine leaned in close to Ian and lowered her voice, sounding a bit frightened. Her words made Ian, who was already curious about which professor had arrived, feel a sudden tightness in his chest.

Looks like Gargamel?

Very scary?

Ian had a bad premonition.

At this moment, surrounded by the throng of children, he arrived just outside the director's office.

The door was left ajar.

And so.

Ian saw, quite directly, the figure sitting opposite the director, their entire body seemingly shrouded in a gloomy haze. Even just the back of them was enough to make one feel tense and stifled.

They looked somewhat like... the dark wizard he had encountered before.

"Why is it him!?"

Ian wore a look of utter bewilderment.

Where is my big, fluffy Dumbledore?!

Why did this black bat show up instead!!

(End of chapter)